Sigma Alpha Iota

FALL 2020 37 PAN PIPES SIGMA ALPHA IOTA ANNUAL AWARDS 2 0 2 0 We use curriculum and lesson planning skills to design programs for athletes. Like a teacher, coaches will program a whole year at a time. We break the process down into blocks (units), then weeks, and specific training sessions (lessons). We consider the goals of the athlete, then compare them to where the athlete is now, and use that information to design the program. We use evidence based practices to decide which exercises to use, how many reps and sets to assign, and how long the athlete should rest between them. We constantly evaluate the athlete to determine progress and monitor both physical and mental health. We even use physical assessments to test and retest as a concrete measure of improvement. We teach! Coaches teach proper form for all exercises. Like instrumental or vocal technique, form and technique when training your body are of utmost importance. We are here to teach you the safest and most efficient way to move weight, whether it is a barbell, an atlas stone, or simply your own body. We teach proper mental preparedness. Like a director coaching her students before a marching band contest — "Leave it out on the field!" "Trust your abilities!" "Ignore the crowd and do what you've rehearsed!" — so too do we help our athletes before a competition or game. We teach the science behind training. We help the athlete to understand why we are doing what we are, and how to supplement it with proper nutrition, rest, and recovery. We want you to improve, and can give you the tools to do so even when we aren't there. Music teachers teach their students how to practice alone—what to listen for, how to properly slow down a passage, and how to put in the dedicated time to improve. Coaches do this too! We teach you to recognize which muscles should be used in a given exercise and how to recognize when you're doing this correctly. We teach how to be aware of what your body is doing in a given moment, but also to be aware of how you are feeling so that you can appropriately rest or fuel your body. We don't just teach specialists! Just like a music teacher doesn't expect her students to make a living out of music, we don't expect our clients to be pro athletes. We know that you have a life outside of the gym and our goal is to keep you as healthy as possible so that you can continue to play with your kids, bring in the groceries, and whatever else you need and want to do. We make progressive improvements. Would you expect a student to perform a concerto right off the bat? No, you start small, and the student first learns Hot Cross Buns. We use the same principles of baby steps and progressive improvement when coaching. We don't throw everything at you all at once; we choose something to improve on, and once that is mastered, we change something else. For example, Hot Cross Buns is making it to the gym once a week. The concerto is a competitive athlete's carefully planned training schedule. As with music, there are many steps in between. We are huge cheerleaders for our profession. Music education has a TON of proven benefits for all people. As music teachers, we know this and spend a lot of our energy trying to convince administrators and the public that it is necessary and should be funded. Strength training and physical activity also have a wealth of benefits for the body, brain, and mental health. We want you to know that exercise doesn't have to be a punishment, that food is not the enemy, and that muscles are good. The coaches at your local gym are thrilled to see you joining and getting stronger, just as we love to see students discover the joy that is music. When I first became interested in strength training, and then coaching, I was sure that I had gone as far from my music education background as possible. Now, however, I can't help but see the similarities. I am incredibly grateful to Sigma Alpha Iota Philanthropies, Inc. for the opportunity. — Kathleen Bartels, Louisville Alumnae Chapter Sigma Alpha Iota Philanthropies, Inc., created in 1974 as a tax-exempt, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is the charitable arm of Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity. Its mission is to promote all aspects of music creation, performance, and scholarship; and encourage service for and through music on the campus, in the community,in the nation, and throughout the world. Learn more about the categories of giving and application requirements at: www.sai-national.org/philanthropies/scholarships-grants-awards

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